Stark County Economic Benefits: A Roundup of Ongoing Developments

Positive news keeps springing up everywhere, as jobs and dollars continue to flow into Stark County thanks to Ohio's key role in the oil and gas industry.

Jackie Stewart reports in the Energy in Depth Blog that "the unemployment rate in shale counties has fallen at a staggering rate," citing a recent report from Crain's Cleveland Business indicating that there will be more jobs for people in Northeast Ohio over the next decade.

Indeed, the report in Crain's indicates that "the oil and gas fields of the eastern and southern parts of the region will boost the regional economy beyond what can be forecast today."

Positive developments in our region had previously been highlighted in a Crain's article about the growing need for commercial buildings and properties thanks to the rapid growth of the shale industry. The article cited the efforts of Stark County's Bryce Custer, of NAI Spring in Canton, who focuses his efforts as a real estate adviser on servicing clients who come to the region to work in the Utica shale.

The article quotes Custer as estimating that his firm has done "in excess of $45 million in oil and gas business" over the past two years. The really enouraging news? The trend, according to Custer, is "business and industrial, followed by retail, followed by housing." In other words, economic development affecting all aspects of the economy.

And there's no end in site, as a report in Ohio Gas & Oil magazine indicated. The article quotes Mike Chadsey of the Ohio Oil & Gas Association as telling the Cambridge Rotary Club that "petroleum experts predict 1,000 wells per year will be drilled" in the Utica Shale "for the next 20 years."

A thousand wells per year. For 20 years.

Buckle up, because the forecast says we're in for a long ride -- one that promises to transform Stark County and all of Northeast Ohio.

More Progress in 2014, and the Stark County Oil & Gas Partnership is Leading the Way

Fracking in Ohio | Stark County Oil & Gas

It was another banner year for shale development in Ohio in 2014, and the Stark County Oil & Gas Partnership led the way in promoting its economic benefits for Stark and the surrounding region.

It began in January when we hosted a special “State of the Utica” event at the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Speakers emphasized the county’s infrastructure, including the finest schools and hospitals in the region, along with optimum industrial, office and retail opportunities. Rapid development in the housing industry was highlighted, including the construction of six new hotels in the county, along with the remodeling of the Holiday Inn Belden Village.

The Partnership’s Dave Kirven was a panelist at the “Energize Canton” event in June, also at the Pro Football Hall of Fame. The event had a specific focus on opportunities for women and minorities in the oil and gas industry, and highlighted its continuing impact on Ohio.

Also in June, we hosted our second annual golf outing at Shady Hollow Country Club in Massillon. The outing provides an excellent opportunity for business and civic leaders to network in a relaxed setting, while also hearing from speakers about the progress of shale drilling and exploration in the state.

Finally, we hosted the “Pipeline 101” event in November at Tozzi’s on 12^th in Canton. Speakers highlighted the many ways that the oil and gas industry, and the pipelines that support it, are helping to drive economic growth in Ohio, Michigan and the surrounding region.

At a time when the governor of New York has issued a ban on fracking in that state—even as its benefits to neighboring Pennsylvania continue to bolster that state’s economy, just as it is doing here in Ohio—we at the Stark County Oil & Gas Partnership remain committed to promoting its safety and overall benefits to our community and our state. We look forward to continued growth and progress in 2015!

Education Attainment Rates, Local Training Initiatives Point to Promising Economic Future for Stark County

Recent data cited by the Stark Education Partnership indicates that education attainment levels among Canton adults ages 18 to 24 exceed both the state and national averages.

According to the data, released by the U.S. Census Bureau, more than 60 percent of Canton residents in that age group have taken post-secondary classes or gone on to earn a degree, a figure higher than the state (55.3%) and national (54.7%) averages.

A recent report by the Economic Policy Institute, a Washington D.C. think tank, emphasized the importance of education to a local economy: "Overwhelmingly, high-wage states are states with a well-educated workforce. There is a clear and strong correlation between the educational attainment of a state's workforce and median wages in the state."

This news comes on the heels of the announcement in August by Stark State College to establish a natural gas and oil drilling training center as part of a satellite academic center in Downtown Canton. This direct partnership between a local college and the energy industry will better prepare skilled laborers for workforce.

The Stark Education Partnership collaborates with educators, businesses, and civic and community leaders to foster sustainable improvement in schools throughout the county. Furthermore, Stark County is well-positioned to remain competitive in the years ahead, with four-year universities such as Kent State Stark, Malone, Mount Union and Walsh, as well as the education available in technology and the trades at Stark State, one of Ohio's premier community and technical colleges.

Pro Football Hall of Fame's 'Village' Concept An Exciting Development for Stark County

The Stark Oil & Gas Partnership has a great working relationship with the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton and is grateful for their support of the Partnership's programs and initiatives.

It was exciting to learn of the Hall of Fame's idea to create a village around the shrine that would change the face of not only that area but all of Canton and Stark County. The prospect of including a convention center and a four-star hotel turned heads in this area and at the national level, with leadership of the National Football League and its 32 team owners.

"For starters we have the Hall of Fame here, and we have this incredible metaphor for excellence," Hall of Fame president David Baker told The Repository. "No one thought Kissimmee, Florida, would be what it is today...Most people don't know Disney World is located in Kissimmee. Look at what they did."

Whatever shape the Hall of Fame's plans ultimately take, the ongoing growth of the internationally known museum will only serve to strengthen Stark County's economy, provide more jobs, and improve the region's quality of life—all things to which the Stark County Oil & Gas Partnership is dedicated.

Oil & Gas Activity Helps Drive Stark County Hotel Boom

The continued progress on the hotels being built in Stark County has been a hot topic for more than a year now. Last fall we wrote of six hotels being built (5) or renovated (1) in the region.

Springhill Suites (Courtesy Canton-Stark County CVB)

Would you believe seven? That's right, another one was added to the mix when Embassy Suites announced plans to build a new hotel at the Shuffel Road exit off of I-77 at the northern edge of Stark County.

Recent updates in The Repository and from the Canton Stark County Convention & Visitors Bureau provided more details of the hotel construction boom, which is being fueled in large part by the oil & gas activity in Northeast Ohio.

Progress continues on the Springhill Suites by Marriott (set to open in June), the Hyatt Place, and the Staybridge Suites, all in the Belden Village area, along with the Fairfield Inn at the intersection of I-77 and Faircrest on Canton's south side, and the new Comfort Inn in Hartville (that community's first major hotel chain property). In addition, the major renovation of the Holiday Inn in Belden Village continues, with a projected completion set for early 2015.

These properties will not only be supported by the oil and gas industry, but also by tourism in the region (especially for the Pro Football Hall of Fame annual activities), airport traffic at CAK, and travelers to the flea market and other activities in Hartville.

Click on the links to read more from The Repository or the Canton Stark County Convention & Visitors Bureau.

More Good News On the Way for Stark County's Economy, Research Reveals

Sales receipts in Stark and surrounding counties were boosted by shale activity in 2013, reflective of a massive $8 billion investment spree taking place in Ohio due to the Utica Shale play.

(hivelocitymedia.com photo)

Edward (Ned) Hill, dean of the Maxine College of Urban Affairs at Cleveland State University, recently led a webinar on the status ofthe Utica shale’s development. He indicated that more gains are anticipated as a result of drilling in the state.

Hill (pictured) also had good news for Stark County in his department’s most recent edition of the Ohio Utica Shale Gas Monitor, dated January 10. CSU includes Stark among the moderate shale counties at this point, along with Mahoning, Portage, Trumbull and Tuscarawas counties.

The report said that sales receipts through August 2013 in those counties increased by 10.7% over the second quarter of 2012. “Increased sales reflect spending by land and mineral rights owners as well as spending of out-of-state workers because hotel and lodging bills are subject to the sales and use tax in Ohio, as are restaurant meals,” it concluded.

The report indicated that the larger metropolitan areas of Akron-Canton and Youngstown-Warren are benefiting because they have a stronger retailing presence than the counties that are currently the center of the most drilling activity.

This is what the Stark County Oil & Gas Partnership has been promoting as we continue to point out why Stark County is a great place to live and establish a business presence.

Click here to read the CSU report: Ohio Utica Shale GasMonitor – Jan. 10, 2014